The Price of Admission/Transcript
Assistant Director George Eagen: Mr. Holmes. I'm Assistant Director Eagen. Sherlock Holmes: Yes, I uh, I am aware. I did, after all, request you, specifically. Ten hours ago, I might add. I was beginning to think your underlings hadn't delivered my message. Eagen: You're lucky I'm here at all. Confessed killers don't usually get to demand an audience with the head of the New York field office. Holmes: And yet, you came. Eagen: Mr. Holmes, you're wanted for the murder of Michael Rowan. As I understand it, you understood you'd be arrested for that murder, should you ever step foot in the United States again. So this is how it's gonna go. You said you had a statement that you could only deliver to me? Let's have it. Then we'll get you downstairs for processing, and you can call an attorney. Holmes: No. Eagen: Excuse me? Holmes: Shortly before you came in, the electromagnetic whine in that camera stopped. I can also tell that there's no one behind that mirror. The fact that you've ensured our privacy tells me that you know I am Morland Holmes's son. Eagen: Why would that matter? Holmes: One of the side effects of spending the last year in proximity to my father is that I became more aware of his business dealings. For instance, I learned that he once bribed an assistant director of the FBI. In exchange for his generosity, you agreed not to look into an illicit real estate deal which had come up in an unrelated investigation. I'm sure that your superiors would be interested to know that. And they would easily find proof of the transaction should they receive a tip. Eagen: What do you want? Holmes: A personal matter requires that I stay in New York for a while. The charges against me need to go away. So in a moment, you're going to walk out of the room, and you're going to release me on my own recognizance. The FBI will then issue a statement saying it made a mistake. You've realized that I provided a false confession in a misguided attempt to protect my partner, who is also innocent. In particular, you will ensure that the NYPD appreciates the gravity of your error. Any shadow of suspicion over myself or Ms. Watson must be gone. Eagen: You do know you'd be exposing your father to criminal charges, too. Holmes: He can take it. Can you? Mr. Balfour: This is a nightmare. I have a buyer flying in from Abu Dhabi today. That's a 14-hour flight. I can't exactly tell him to turn around. He's three-quarters of the way here. Customer Service Rep: Mr. Balfour, I swear, nothing like this has ever happened before. Balfour: And how does that help me? I paid your people to move the sculpture from my storage unit into the showroom so I could present it to my buyer. That is an original Lance Petra. Do you have any idea how much it's worth? Nothing. Nothing is what it's worth now. Meanwhile, the fuel that my buyer is burning coming here costs more than what you make in a year. I wanted to go to the Harlem storage place, but no. The buyer needed to be near the airport. 14-hour flight, and he can't just drive into the city. Call your boss! Customer Service Rep: I have been trying, but he hasn't answered. I will try him again right now. Balfour: First thing that you tell him when he picks up? Your insurance here better be astronomical. Customer Service Rep: Virgil? Holmes: "Virgil Gwinn." Antoine LaGrange: He was our New York site manager. Holmes: And you're his boss? LaGrange: I oversee all of Krypsona's locations in Europe and the U.S. Holmes: You sure it's him? LaGrange: A scar on his hand. Loading dock incident some months ago. Holmes: So if this was an accident, it's not the facility's first. LaGrange: Have I done something to offend you, Mr. Holmes? Holmes: You said on the phone that you required assistance with a problem. I wouldn't be here at all were it not for your relationship with my father. Had you mentioned that your problem was a corpse, I would have said, "No. Call the police." LaGrange: You're familiar with the nature of our business? Holmes: Yeah. Krypsona is a storage facility for the rich and shady. You qualify as a foreign-trade zone, meaning as long as the items coming into the country remain here, they are considered outside the purview of U.S. Customs, subject to neither inspection nor import tax. And such a designation attracts a clientele of art smugglers, tax evaders and money launderers. LaGrange: Our clients have secrets. We offer discretion. Holmes: Hmm. And should this turn into a homicide investigation, you might prefer to give them a heads-up, would you? Didn't your security system capture what happened? LaGrange: Uh, we looked when the body was found. Our system was shut off for some reason last night. Holmes: You didn't think that was worth mentioning? LaGrange: Well, I was hoping it wasn't related. Holmes: Virgil Gwinn was probably hoping not to be murdered. LaGrange: Murdered. You're certain? Holmes: Wool, matching that of Gwinn's suit. Whatever happened last night, it didn't start in here. That is a dental crown belonging to Mr. Gwinn. He was attacked here, and then carried into the showroom, where his death was staged to look like an accident. LaGrange: Do you plan to treat my clients as suspects? Holmes: Everyone's a suspect. Your employees are suspect. You're a suspect. LaGrange: What...I called you. Holmes: You wouldn't be the first killer to bring me in out of pure swank. A retired colorman once did so after asphyxiating his wife and her lover. I found them in a well in his garden. That being said, on a fundamental level, Krypsona is a facility where valuables are stored, and Mr. Gwinn was charged with protecting them. And I'm sure the NYPD will want to determine if anything is missing, in case he was killed during a theft. LaGrange: You're contacting them now? Holmes: No. I'm contacting my partner. She'll call them. As far as anyone need know, you called looking for me, but you found her instead, all right? LaGrange: And I suppose they'll want a list of our clients' names? Holmes: Yeah. LaGrange: Well, I can't give them one. I'm contractually forbidden. Holmes: Well, in that case, you'll be given a court order, absolving you of any need for confidentiality. Now, before the police get here, I need copies of all of this facility's security video. The killer might have avoided the cameras last night, but who knows what I'll find on previous days? Joan Watson: Sherlock? Holmes: Up here! Watson: All the furniture's back. Holmes: While you and Marcus were at Krypsona, I took the liberty of having our things delivered from storage. Watson: I was only gone a few hours. Holmes: You think I would hire slow movers? My only quibble is damage to some of the cables. Our belongings are the tools of our trade, Watson. We need them to do our work. Watson: Because, apparently, we're taking cases now. Holmes: A dead body came over our transom. I decided not to throw it back. Speaking of which... Watson: It's like you said. Virgil Gwinn's death looks like a homicide. Eugene thinks that his neck was broken before he was crushed under the sculpture. The killer wanted it to look like an accident. Holmes: And Krypsona's shadowy client list? Watson: Marcus got a court order. They handed it over. So he's been calling each of the clients to see if police can inspect their units. So far, no one is cooperating. Holmes: As predicted. Watson: He also posted unis at the facility. So if anyone tries to get into their unit without the police, they'll be stopped and we'll hear about it. How about you? Anything interesting in the footage? Holmes: Many things. Or rather, many non-things. The night of Gwinn's murder is not the first time someone tampered with the security system at Krypsona. I've found gaps in the footage going back over a year. Watson: So we're looking at a string of break-ins. Last night was the first time they caught on? It's got to be an inside job, right? That's how they're turning off the cameras. Holmes: Either that, or the killer was a professional with the right expertise. I'm still reviewing the footage, so it's too soon to say. Watson: So, now can we talk about why you didn't get on a plane to London yesterday? Holmes: Change of heart. Watson: I thought you and I both agreed that you can't stay here. The FBI... Holmes: They're already aware of my presence. Turned myself in yesterday. Watson: What? What if your plan backfired? What if they arrested you? Holmes: They didn't. Watson: Why risk it? Holmes: Because questions still remain about what happened to the Captain. Patrick Meers was not acting alone. Someone or some group were pulling his strings. We both know I can't return to London with things as they are, and we can't investigate properly with me slinking about. What's the latest on the Captain? Watson: He's stable. I mean, he still has to be intubated, though, so they're keeping him sedated. It's Marcus. One of Krypsona's clients has agreed to let the police inspect his unit. I've been invited to join. Detective Bell: We appreciate you helping us out, Mr. Cutler. Seems like a lot of the renters here aren't keen on the police looking through their stuff. Edward Cutler: I have got nothing to hide, Detective. Watson: Can I ask why you keep your coins in a foreign trade zone? Cutler: I picked most of them up in other countries, and they're worth a lot of money. Most of them are gold. If I never bring them through Customs, then I don't have to declare them. It's perfectly legal. I, I'm not a criminal. I'm just cheap. And it's just as easy to admire them here as it is at home. Watson: Some of the locks have been picked on these cases. You can see the scratches. Bell: Over here, too. Someone pried these open. Probably with a screwdriver. Got to think the perp was our doer, right? He was ripping off these storage units when the site manager caught him in the act. Do us a favor, Mr. Cutler, and write us up a list of everything you find missing. Cutler: I'd be happy to, except so far, everything's here. Bell: You sure? Cutler: I'll have to go through it all, but from what I can see, nothing's missing. Watson: That doesn't make any sense. I mean, even if you don't know anything about coins, you can see that these are worth stealing. Bell: And given the number of locks that were picked, whoever broke in here stuck around for a while. So why go through all that trouble and not take anything? Watson: Thanks for the lift. Bell: Yeah. Hey, any chance you have a printer set up inside? Supposed to meet Chantal at a comedy club in 20 minutes, and I forgot to print our tickets off the website. It would save me from having to stop somewhere else, miss half the show. Watson: Um, well, just tell me the site's address, and I'll print them out. You can wait here. Bell: I would, but it's probably gonna take me a dozen tries to remember my password. I could just come inside and do it. Joan. I know he's here. Holmes: I hope you brought some food, Watson. Bell: No food. Just company. Watson: He knew you were here. Holmes: I realize this puts you in an awkward spot, Marcus. Bell: It's been a year, man. You really gonna leave me hanging? Holmes: You knew I was here the whole time, didn't you? Bell: It was the Captain. I knew you'd come. I was counting on it. Holmes: It's good to see you. I was disappointed to hear about the Marshals, but I do understand. Bell: Be grateful. If I was a federal officer right now, I'd have to arrest you. Holmes: On that count, you won't be abetting a fugitive for too long. Wheels are in motion to clear me in the eyes of the law. Bell: Do I even want to know? Holmes: Probably never. Bell: Then what? You back? Watson: We haven't talked about that yet. We were only planning to see this Patrick Meers thing through. This just came up. Holmes: Watson texted me about the storage unit you examined. The man's coin collection was rifled but not robbed? I think I have an explanation. You'll recall I discovered gaps in the security footage that we received from Krypsona. Well, I've since discovered a related pattern elsewhere in the financial records of our flattened victim. Watson: Well, according to these, Virgil Gwinn bought a lake house in Saskatchewan last year. And then this year, he bought a $100,000 Tesla and a luxury cruise. Holmes: Note the dates. Each of his extravagant purchases was made shortly after one of the gaps in the footage. Bell: So every time the cameras went off, Virgil got richer. He was the one disabling the security system because he was stealing from people's units. Holmes: Not exactly. I don't think he was stealing objects. I think he was after information. Krypsona caters to clients with secrets. Watson: If secrets were all an intruder was after, then it would explain why none of Edward Cutler's coins were taken. Bell: You think Virgil was going through people's units to see what they were hiding. If he found a good secret, he'd use it to shake down the client? Holmes: Yeah. He was a blackmailer. And if I'm right, he was killed by one of his victims. Watson: Hey. Ready to go? Bell: Mm-hmm. Watson: So that's Captain Dwyer? Strange seeing someone else in that office. Bell: He's the C.O. at the 12th. He's going to cover both squads, half tour here, half tour there, until we know more about Captain Gregson. He's getting briefed on all our open cases. Pretty sure you and I are next. Watson: Do we know anything about him? Bell: I hear he's a good boss. You don't get tapped in a situation like this if you aren't. When I texted my buddy at the 12th, all he said was that Dwyer doesn't mince words. Watson: What does that mean? Bell: Guess we're about to find out. Captain Dwyer: Detective Bell, you're up. Bell: Uh, Captain Dwyer, this is Joan Watson. Watson: Hello. Dwyer: I forget. You the one who murdered that guy, or was it your partner? Between us, I don't care. The guy was a twist. I'm glad he's dead. Thanks. Dwyer: I've been on the job 40 years. You're my first consulting detective. I think it's nuts, by the way, working cases with civilians, but this isn't my house, it's Tommy's, and it isn't like there's any arguing with your results, am I right? Shall we? Bell: Uh, actually, Captain, we set everything up in the conference room for you. Dwyer: "Set everything up"? What the hell is all this? Bell: You asked for a briefing on the case. Dwyer: Yeah, briefing. This look brief to you? Bell: No, but... Dwyer: Look, I'm a 30,000-foot guy. I only need details when I need them. Right now I'm running two squads instead of one. It's a homicide. You got a handle on it? Bell: Early days, but we think so. Dwyer: Good. Let me know if that changes. Otherwise, Tommy trusts you. That's good enough for me. Holmes: First impressions of our interim Captain? Watson: It's hard to say. The meeting was so quick. Holmes: So did he grasp why we suspect Virgil Gwinn was murdered by one of Krypsona's clientele? Bell: Actually, we never got that far. Something about Captain Dwyer being a 30,000-foot guy. Holmes: What does that mean? Watson: I think it's supposed to mean the view from an airplane, but he may as well have been on one, he sped by so fast. But he said he trusts us. Holmes: Well, then I suppose he'll do. So I've managed to eliminate all but one of these individuals as a suspect. Noam Alsberg is, according to my source, a money launderer for a Serbian gang, and they are in the habit of disappearing their victims. Bell: So they wouldn't have left Virgil's body to be found. Holmes: Hmm. These three are cooperating with the investigation, so it's unlikely they've got anything to hide worth blackmailing. These two may well have something to hide, but they are Krypsona's newest clients. I didn't find any gaps in the security footage between the time they moved in and the time of the murder. Watson: Meaning Virgil hadn't gotten around to searching their units in order to blackmail them. Bell: You said you eliminated all but one. Holmes: Aura Swenson, heiress to the Swenson Construction fortune, but money's not the only thing in her inheritance. Her father, Harold Swenson, built one of the world's largest construction companies by doing business primarily in Africa and the Middle East. His vocation allowed him to indulge his avocation. Everywhere he built roads and bridges, he procured religious artifacts. Watson: I remember hearing about this. He wanted to build a museum focusing on the religions that came out of the region, but he died before he had the chance. Holmes: Mmm. His daughter has decided to carry on her father's dream. Bell: Says here the dad got in trouble with the Feds about ten years back. He was caught importing looted antiquities, got off with a slap on the wrist and a minor fine. Holmes: Afterwards, he claimed to stay on the straight and narrow. Watson: So you think his collection is being kept in his daughter's unit. But if it's so squeaky clean, then why is it in a foreign trade zone, and why won't he cooperate with the murder investigation? Bell: If the Swenson family is still in possession of looted goods, it would count as a second offense. She could get prison time. Holmes: Secret worthy of blackmail and, by extension, murder. Watson: Well, we can't prove any of this without access to her unit. Bell: And these articles aren't going to get us a search warrant. I could talk to Captain Dwyer, try to put some pressure on Aura Swenson, but I'm not liking our chances. Holmes: There might be another way we could test the theory. According to these articles, she engaged an appraiser to inventory her father's collection. The appraiser's website, however fails to list her as a client. That's a curious omission, isn't it, given the notoriety of the Swenson name? Watson: So you think he's distancing himself from her for a reason. Holmes: Well, she likely won't cooperate. Perhaps the appraiser will. Sebastian Florenti: Detective Bell? Hi. And Miss Watson. Watson: Hello. Florenti: You said on the phone that you wanted to talk about the Swenson collection? Bell: That's right. Florenti: Go ahead and come back into my office with me. I just want to be clear right out of the gate that I wanted no part of that mess. Bell: When you say "mess," Mr. Florenti, are you talking about looted antiquities or the murder of Virgil Gwinn? Florenti: Wait, murder? Virgil, the site manager at Krypsona? He's dead? Watson: You knew him? Florenti: To say hello. I, I couldn't remove anything from the building, so I had to examine the collection there. Watson: We have reason to believe that his murder and the collection are related. We were hoping that you can confirm that some of the Swenson antiquities were smuggled into the country illegally. Florenti: Are you saying you think Aura Swenson killed him? Bell: If we were thinking that, would we be off base? Florenti: You asked if I saw looted antiquities. Yeah, I did. That's what I wanted no part of. A lot of the Swenson collection comes from a border territory between Ethiopia and its neighbor, Eritrea. I worked in that region for years, so Aura hired me for my expertise. Eritrea used to be part of Ethiopia, but they declared independence 25 years ago, and the two countries have been at war ever since. There hasn't been any government-sanctioned archaeology in the region during that time, so when I saw that Harold Swenson had brought in pieces less than five years ago... Bell: You knew they had to have been looted. Florenti: I don't think Aura knew. She just inherited everything from her dad. But when I told her, she offered to pay me to forge papers of provenance. Watson: She wanted you to cover up her father's crimes. Florenti: I told her I wouldn't, and she was furious. I quit on the spot. Watson: Would you be willing to tell a judge everything you just told us? It could help police secure a search warrant. Florenti: Of course. Bell: Actually, looks like we won't need a warrant. Aura Swenson's lawyer just called the precinct. They've agreed to give us full access to her unit. Bell: So you're admitting to everything your appraiser told us? That several of these items are missing the paperwork needed to bring them legally into the U.S.? Watson: All right, you realize you're confessing to a federal crime, and confirming a motive to kill Virgil Gwinn? Aura's Lawyer: What motive is that? Bell: We think Virgil Gwinn knew you had looted items in here, items you could go to prison for, and that he was blackmailing you to keep it secret. Lawyer: We can't speak to anything that transpired between this man and Aura's father. It's possible Harold was being blackmailed, but this is the first we're hearing of it. Aura Swenson: The fact is, I let you in here to prove that I wasn't committing any crime. And since that's the case, there's nothing that I could be blackmailed over, either. Watson: I'm confused. How could your father have been susceptible to blackmail, but not you? You just said that the looted items are still here. Lawyer: Because we finalized a deal with the Ethiopian government this morning that obviates any crimes on Ms. Swenson's part. Bell: Care to explain how a deal with a foreign country saves you from facing charges on U.S. soil? Aura: A few months ago, the U.N. brokered a peace deal between Ethiopia and Eritrea, ending a lengthy conflict. With the fighting over, Ethiopia now has a chance to repair its infrastructure. Watson: Which just happens to be your family's line of work. Lawyer: In exchange for Swenson Construction's generous assistance building new housing, parks and power plants, Ethiopia has agreed to donate any and all items that might have been looted to the Swensons' museum. And since none of the items in here have left the foreign trade zone... Watson: Technically, none of these items have been smuggled into the country illegally. So this deal makes it legal? Lawyer: And since this deal has been in the works for weeks, Ms. Swenson had no motive to kill any blackmailer. Watson: That's the first time I've heard of a country giving an alibi. Bell: This all looks legit, but I'm no expert, and there's a lot of inventory in there. It'd be nice to know if this really means there's nothing Ms. Swenson could've been blackmailed over. I'll call the department's art expert, ask him to help us go through it. Watson: We should also make sure this really came from the Ethiopian government. I'll call Sherlock and ask him to swing by the consulate. Eagen (phone): Eagen. Holmes (phone): Assistant Director, it's Sherlock Holmes. Eagen (phone): You shouldn't be calling me. Holmes (phone): I wouldn't be if my situation was resolved. Eagen (phone): I'm working on it. Holmes (phone): Well, work faster. I'm not sure how much longer I can be trusted to keep your secret. Eagen (phone): 24 hours, and it'll be done. Holmes: Excuse me. Hello. Um, my name's Sherlock Holmes. I've got an appointment to speak with consul. Isn't that her? Aide: Mr. Holmes, I recognize the name. I'm sorry, but the consul has been called to the U.N. She'll have to reschedule. Holmes: Is everything all right? Aide: This went out to the press an hour ago. It should explain everything. Watson (phone): Hey. How did it go with the Ethiopian consul? Holmes (phone): She wasn't able to speak. She was called away on urgent business. Her prime minister just pulled out of a peace deal with Eritrea. Watson (phone): Really? Holmes (phone): That means something to you? Watson (phone): Yeah. I was about to call you. I think I may know why they pulled out of the peace deal, and if I'm right, it might tell us why Virgil Gwinn was murdered. Holmes (phone): I'm listening. Watson (phone): The Swenson collection included a journal written by an archaeologist in 1928. So there is this one entry. He and his team are digging in what is now the disputed area between Ethiopia and Eritrea. So he wrote that they came across "bitumen seepage" and the "odor of methane gas." Holmes (phone): You're thinking antiquities aren't the only thing people dig for in that region worth killing over. Watson (phone): Bitumen and methane are indicators of fossil fuels. So what if Virgil went digging for dirt in Swenson's collection, and instead struck oil? Ethiopian Consul: Where did you get this? Watson: It's funny, we were gonna ask you the same thing. That is a copy of a page from an archaeologist's journal. We got it from Aura Swenson. It was in her father's collection of antiquities. Now, the archaeologist described what he thought could be oil along the border between your country and Eritrea. An area which, up until yesterday, your country agreed to hand over to Eritrea as part of a peace deal. Bell: We can't help thinking it's all related, this info about the oil and your prime minister suddenly refusing to give up the land. Consul: I must admit, I am a bit puzzled. Why are the affairs of two African nations of any concern to the NYPD? Bell: Because they're relevant to a homicide investigation. We're looking into the murder of a man named Virgil Gwinn. Maybe you've heard of him? Well, we think Mr. Gwinn came across that journal in a storage unit where the Swensons' collection is held. We also think he tried to sell the information in it to your country. Watson: Maybe you liked the information but not the price. So you took it and you had him killed instead. Consul: I believe this conversation just ended. Bell: You probably don't want word of oil in the region getting around, right? For example, I'm thinking Eritrea would be very interested to hear about it. Their consulate's just down the street, isn't it? Consul: In truth, you're only partly right about what you have said. My country was alerted to the possibility of oil in the region, and that is why we rejected the peace deal. As I understand it, our prime minister received a copy of this same journal directly from a high-level business associate, but where that man acquired it, or whether he knew your murder victim, I cannot say. Watson: Obviously, you've heard of the Swenson family and you know about the agreement to donate antiquities to them in exchange for help from their construction company. Consul: Yes, but I was unaware of any connection between the Swensons' collection and this information. What I can say with great certainty is that no one from my government ordered any murder. Bell: We'll need the name of your prime minister's business associate. Consul: I can give you that, as long as you'll agree not to divulge what you know to Eritrea. Bell: She gave us the name of a prominent Ethiopian businessman. Apparently, he's the one who passed the info in the journal on to their prime minister. Holmes: Well, that's progress. You seem troubled. Watson: The consul doesn't seem to think there's a connection between the information reaching her government and Virgil Gwinn's murder. Holmes: Her ignorance of such matters doesn't disprove them. Watson: Well, I looked into where the journal came from. It's been sitting in the Swenson collection, gathering dust, for a decade. Before then, Harold Swenson bought it from a private collector in Italy, who had been holding onto it for 75 years. Holmes: So we agree, the timing, probably not a coincidence. So what's troubling? Bell: Well, after hearing what she said, we don't think Virgil's the one who sold it. We've been through his life. He wasn't a traveler. He didn't have foreign friends. Mostly, he stuck to the people he grew up with. He didn't strike us as the type who was rubbing elbows with high-level Ethiopian businessmen. Holmes: You're right, he probably wasn't. Watson: So why don't you seem troubled? Holmes: Because I can't help remembering, you've already met someone connected to Virgil's place of work, with access to the Swensons' collection, and the proper contacts in Ethiopia. Sebastian Florenti: You think I killed Virgil Gwinn? I told you, I barely knew him. Watson: You did, but we're guessing you said that because you realized that we might see the two of you on Krypsona's surveillance video. Now, we looked at the footage pretty closely. We couldn't make out what you were saying, but that's mostly because you and Virgil would go into Ms. Swenson's unit whenever you talked, presumably because there were no cameras in there. Florenti: You're imagining things. Bell: Are we? 'Cause if so, our imaginations are pretty thorough. Here's how we figure it went down. You discovered the archaeologist's journal while you were working on the Swensons' collection, you saw the info about oil, and decided to sell it to Ethiopia. Watson: You mentioned you lived there. We checked, and some of the work you did was directly for the Ethiopian government, so you would've known the right people to get the information to. Bell: Then along comes Virgil Gwinn. Thanks to Krypsona's cameras, he had eyes on everything there. He must have caught you sneaking that journal out and back in, had at least a sense of what you were doing, and demanded a cut. But you weren't down for being blackmailed. So you arranged to meet him at Krypsona. You made sure he disabled the cameras and erased any proof of what you'd done, and then you killed him. Florenti: I already told you, I quit working for Aura Swenson weeks ago. I didn't even have access to the building anymore. Bell: Virgil could have let you in. Or you could have used your own key card. According to Krypsona's records, you never turned it in. Florenti: I guess I threw it out. Look now that you have laid it all out, I guess I understand why you suspect me. But you're suggesting I would sabotage a peace deal for personal profit? Tens of thousands of people have already died in the fighting between Ethiopia and Eritrea. What you are accusing me of is inhuman. Virgil was killed three nights ago, right? Tuesday? Bell: That's right. Florenti: I was at the Amore Opera with some friends. La Traviata. We even went out for drinks afterward. I'm sure you'll want their names. Watson: Marcus called. Florenti's alibi checked out. Plus, we can't find any connection between him and the business associate who supplied the journal, or any communication between Florenti and his contacts in Ethiopia. As far as we can tell, he hasn't even set foot in an Ethiopian restaurant. Holmes: You and Marcus looked him in the eye. Are you convinced of his guilt? Watson: Honestly, when he gave us his alibi, it felt like he was taunting us. Holmes: Well, his alibi certainly doesn't clear him. His Ethiopian contacts could have sent someone to kill Gwinn. Watson: Mmm, a hit man. Holmes: So, I reached out to some friends at the State Department and at Interpol, requesting the names of any international "fixers" with ties to Ethiopia. I've also written to my father. He's the head of a global crime syndicate, so he might have some insights. I'm just awaiting responses. Watson: Speaking of your father, have you heard from his pal, the assistant director? Holmes: I spoke to him yesterday. He assures me that my exculpation is imminent. So, it occurs to me that you and I should talk about the future. Specifically, our plans beyond the resolution of the Patrick Meers case. Watson: Well, I just assumed we'd return to London. Holmes: Yeah, we might, but we wouldn't have to. I mean, we could, if we so choose, resume our work at the 11th. Watson: You said that staying in London was important to you. Holmes: Yeah, it was, but I'd be lying if I said that being here didn't stir up certain feelings. Anyway, when my name is cleared, I can travel as I please. Our consultancy could become bicontinental. Watson: You mean work with the NYPD and Scotland Yard? Holmes: We have the means. Watson: Okay. Thanks. Holmes: Oh, I'm just being selfish. I want it all. Always do. I'll see you in the morning. Watson: Ugh. What is that? Holmes: Eritrean national anthem. It's quite rousing, isn't it? Watson: Oh, obviously it was to me. Holmes: Heard back from my father. Watson: Well, I take it he had some thoughts on the hit man from Ethiopia. Holmes: He had a good deal more to offer than that. He proposed an entirely different theory of the crime. A theory so depraved, it took him to think of it. Watson: I'm listening. Holmes: Ethiopia is not the only nation to benefit from learning about the oil. Watson: Eritrea? Okay, explain that. If Ethiopia holds onto the land, they get the oil. Wouldn't Eritrea be the losers in all this? Holmes: Its citizens, perhaps, but not its leaders. Since declaring independence 25 years ago, Eritrea has suffered under a single despotic regime accused of numerous human rights violations. The government has repeatedly postponed national elections, using the perpetual war with Ethiopia as an excuse. Watson: So, they need to keep the war going in order to stay in power. Holmes: Should they be so unlucky as for peace to break out, the regime's ouster would be all but guaranteed. Watson: So, you think the reason why we haven't been able to find the hit man the Ethiopian government hired is because Florenti didn't sell the information to Ethiopia. He sold it to Eritrea. Holmes: From there, it was a simple matter of identifying the global security firm the Eritrean government employed. And that led me to the name of a hired assassin, who was in New York at the time of the murder. Watson: So now what do we do? Holmes: You do nothing. I've already made arrangements for Mr. Florenti's undoing. Florenti: Hello. Holmes: Mr. Florenti, please come in. Florenti: I'm looking for Mr. al-Maliki? He asked me to inspect some Iraqi artifacts. Holmes: It is a beautiful city, isn't it? Florenti: It's home. Holmes: Yeah. Sorry about the deception. There is no Mr. Maliki. I'm the one who called. I work with the police. Florenti: You people still think I killed Virgil Gwinn? Holmes: As a matter of fact, I'm quite sure that you didn't. Florenti: Really? Holmes: Yeah. This man did. His name is Gavin Lund. The Eritrean government hired him to kill Gwinn after you told them Gwinn was a threat. Florenti: Here we go. Holmes: Gwinn knew about the journal entry you had discovered, which meant he could expose their plan to perpetuate war with Ethiopia. I was quite sure you'd recognize Lund if you had given him your key card in person. That's how he gained access to Krypsona, is it not? Florenti: Once and for all, no, I do not recognize this man. And I don't have any idea what you could poss...what the hell was that? Holmes: Those are bullets. Mr. Lund just tried to kill you. Florenti: What? Holmes: Yeah, he's perched on that balcony over there. I made sure that he knew about our meeting and that you intended to give a full confession. Florenti: Are you insane? Holmes: You should know, my father owns this apartment. Those windows are bulletproof. Well, bullet-resistant. It's hard to tell how many rounds they will withstand before they start getting through. So, what are your options? You could get outside and make a run for it. Oh, I don't think that's wise. He's got a clear line of sight from that balcony to the building's entrance. You could stay inside, wait it out. But I don't think that's going to work, either, 'cause he's a pro. I also gave him every detail of your life, so, eventually, he's gonna find you. Florenti: What?! Holmes: Fortunately, I have a way to guarantee safe passage to the police, where, if you agree, you'll give a full confession. Florenti: Fine. Fine. I'll do whatever you say. Just, just get me out of here. Watson: I see you're still alive, so I take it everything worked out. Holmes: Yes. Sebastian Florenti is at the precinct confessing. He confirmed my deduction as to the hit man's identity. He and Gavin Lund did meet. Watson: But Florenti didn't suspect that the shooter was just your friend? Holmes: No. Lund is presently in Hamburg. Interpol has issued a notice to have him picked up. Watson: So, I've been e-mailing with Kitty, and since it looks like we're gonna be here a while, I asked her to send some things for me. Do you want anything from your place? Is everything okay? Holmes: No. Holmes: Hey. I told you to make things right. Eagen: Oh, I see you got my text. Holmes: According to this, a convicted killer named Santos Oliva left a letter confessing to Michael Rowan's murder, and then he hanged himself in his cell. Eagen: Yeah, Oliva fit the bill. He was in the right area the night Rowan died, and he had the right sheet. He'd killed before. Holmes: He didn't kill Michael Rowan. Eagen: Are you sure about that? I thought all you knew was that it wasn't you and Miss Watson. Are you saying you know more? Holmes: This is not what we discussed. Eagen: What did you think was gonna happen? Clearing your name was one thing, but both of you, no. I had to put the blame someplace. Oh, and by the way, Oliva wasn't the only one who wrote a confession. I've written one as well. In it, I admit I took a bribe from Morland Holmes. A fact others can easily verify, as you pointed out. Only, according to my letter, that bribe was in exchange for clearing Michael Rowan's real killer Joan Watson. Now, you contact me again or tell anyone what you know, my letter goes public. Oh, almost forgot. Welcome home. Category:Transcripts